Can this battery-swapping bike tech unchoke cities? We took a ride

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Across Asia, by far the most popular form of personal transport is the motor scooter.

Thailand has 20 million of them, Vietnam 45 million, and Indonesia more than 80 million.

They are cheap and convenient – but polluting. To cut emissions, cities need to switch to a clean, electric alternative. But how?

One Taiwanese company, which has already built the world’s largest battery-swapping network, says it has the answer.

We took the bike for a ride in Taipei to find out how the system works.

Reported by Rupert Wingfield-Hayes

Produced by Chika Nakayama

Shot by Jiro Akiba

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Royal merit for Queen Mother

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PUBLISHED : 13 Aug 2023 at 04:00

NEWSPAPER SECTION: News

Royal merit for Queen Mother

Their Majesties the King and Queen, accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya and His Royal Highness Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, arrive at Amarin Winitchai Throne Hall to perform a merit-making ceremony to commemorate Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother’s birthday yesterday. On arrival, Their Majesties were received by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. photo: Pool Photo

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Migrant boat sinks in Channel killing six people

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People being brought ashore in a RNLI boatReuters
By Megan Fisher & Alex Kleiderman & Simon Jones
BBC News, London and Dover

Six people have died after a boat carrying migrants sank in the Channel, off the French coast.

Two people may still be missing, a spokeswoman from French coastal authority Premar said, after the vessel got into difficulty in the sea near Calais in the early hours of Saturday.

About 58 people were rescued by British and French coastguards, officials said.

A number of people were seen being brought off a lifeboat, some on stretchers, in Dover.

The extent of injuries remain unclear and the exact numbers of those rescued have changed since the morning as more information was released.

The six people who died were Afghan men thought to be in their 30s, the AFP news agency reported Philippe Sabatier, deputy public prosecutor for the French coastal city of Boulogne, as saying.

He said those rescued included some children and were mostly from Afghanistan, although there were some Sudanese.

French authorities said a passing ship first raised the alarm at around 4.20am local time that an overloaded boat was in difficulty off the coast of Sangatte.

When the French lifeboat arrived, they found people in the sea, with some screaming for help.

The Dover lifeboat, which was already in the Channel dealing with another boat carrying migrants, joined the rescue operation.

One of the volunteer rescuers told the Reuters news agency migrants were using shoes to bail water out of the sinking boat.

Anne Thorel said there had been “too many” people on board.

Another French rescuer, Jean-Pierre Finot, said: “Some were suffering from sea sickness and the boats are quite simply overloaded… [and] can no longer move forward”.

Rescue crews say this is the seventh time this week that they have had to pull people from the water, raising concerns that the smugglers organising the crossings may be using a defective batch of boats.

In its latest update, French officials said interviews with survivors suggest 65 or 66 people were on the boat. Often boats are so overloaded it is difficult to tell how many people are on them.

Premar said 22 or 23 people were taken to Dover by UK rescue crews and a French boat took 36 to Calais.

Two French boats were still searching for the two people who could still be missing, it added.

A French Navy aircraft and a helicopter had been deployed to help the search.

The MP for Calais, Pierre-Henri Dumont, said authorities are interviewing the migrants who are able to speak and not too unwell, to establish what happened and where they are from.

Although the incident happened in French territory, with these types of operations, British and French rescue teams work together to rescue as many people as possible.

A map showing the area of the search for the migrant boat in comparison with French and English coastlines

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, thanked the rescuers for their efforts but urged the UK government to work on creating an “orderly and humane asylum system”.

The English Channel is one of the most dangerous and busiest shipping lanes in the world, with 600 tankers and 200 ferries passing through it every day.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman called what happened a “tragic loss of life”.

A UK government spokesperson said the deaths were “devastating and our thoughts are with the victims’ families and friends at this time”.

They added: “This incident is sadly another reminder of the extreme dangers of crossing the Channel in small boats and how vital it is that we break the people smugglers’ business model and stop the boats.”

People on stretchers brought ashore at Dover

Reuters

Dover MP, Natalie Elphicke, said the incident highlighted the need for joint patrols on the French coast.

“These overcrowded and unseaworthy death traps should obviously be stopped by the French authorities from leaving the French coast in the first place,” she said.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said it was an “appalling, deeply shocking tragedy”.

Another small boat also got into difficulty on Saturday but all on board were rescued, the UK Coastguard said.

Meanwhile, people from other migrant boats that had made successful crossings could be seen being brought ashore at Dover during the day.

In the last two days more than 1,000 people made the journey across the Channel to the UK, government figures show. More than 100,000 migrants have crossed in small boats since 2018.

At least 27 migrants died after a dinghy sank while heading to the UK from France in November 2021, the highest recorded number of deaths from a single incident.

Four people died at sea while trying to cross in December 2022.

The incident comes after the UK government faces pressure over fears of a Legionella outbreak on its new migrant barge, Bibby Stockholm, moored in Portland Port, Dorset. The first migrants to board the vessel had to be removed after bacteria was found in the water system.

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Australia gripped by penalty drama on historic night

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In a country where for so long “soccer” has struggled to make a major impact on mainstream consciousness, Australia’s victory over France in the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals feels like a watershed moment.

Even before the game, the shift in public perception was notable. The Australian Football League – which runs Aussie rules – made the surprise decision to show the quarter-final on the big screen at Melbourne Cricket Ground before the huge AFL match between Carlton and Melbourne.

Channel 7, which normally shunts sports on to a secondary channel at 6pm to make way for its flagship news show, delayed its bulletin in order to show the game in an unprecedented move.

It shows how much the Matildas have captured national imagination – and if they were popular before, that fervour will now reach fever pitch after a penalty shootout win scarcely believable in its twists and turns.

The drama began when France manager Herve Renard chose to bring off keeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin in the dying seconds, sub Solene Durand sent on to face the penalties.

The spot-kicks themselves started with a bang as Australia keeper Mackenzie Arnold saved the opening effort from Selma Bacha. She would go on to make four stops in the shootout – and that tells only half the story.

Durand saved from Steph Catley, but when Arnold stopped Eve Perisset’s effort it seemed certain that she would be the heroine as she stepped up to take the fifth Matilda kick.

But Arnold hit the post, so on we went.

Fans arrive early to watch the Matildas match against France on the big screens before the 2023 AFL match between the Carlton Blues and the Melbourne Demons at Melbourne Cricket Ground

After six penalties were scored, Arnold saved from Kenza Dali, France’s ninth taker – twice. The West Ham keeper was penalised by referee Maria Carvajal for stepping off her line, having been pushing her luck all through the shootout. Arnold got up, faced the retake and saved that too.

Arnold lost the headlines again though, when Durand made the best save of the shootout to deny Clare Hunt’s powerful strike one-handed.

Yet Australia would not be denied, and when 19-year-old Vicki Becko hit the post, Cortnee Vine – the 10th Matildas taker – kept her nerve to send Australia into football-inspired ecstasy; a state they have rarely been in before.

‘We were against an entire nation’

Fans watch the Matildas following the round 22 AFL match between Sydney Swans and Gold Coast Suns at Sydney Cricket Ground

“The shootout was a rollercoaster for all of us,” said Australia manager Tony Gustavsson. “It seems written in the stars when Macca [Mackenzie Arnold] takes the fifth one, then you realise it’s not meant to be.

“Clare Hunt, the World Cup debutant, maybe it’s meant to be. But Vine, she is waiting around in the centre circle, to stay as composed as she does… it is unheard of mental strength.”

Gustavsson said his team were not perturbed by France changing their keeper in the 123rd minute, pointing out that the Australian men’s team did the same in their play-off for the 2022 World Cup. Andrew Redmayne saved a penalty, and Australia qualified.

“It was our plan for the shootout, we all know Durand’s qualities, she is amazing in shootouts,” France manager Renard said.

“If we had won this evening I would be king of the world, instead I am nothing by millimetres. That is why we love football.”

Renard was also full of praise for the opposition’s keeper Arnold, calling her “a goliath of a goalie” and the “winning factor.”

An even greater winning factor could be the immense belief the Matildas now have that this is their time – and the rest of Australia is on board.

“We were against an entire nation,” said Renard. “A couple of things could have gone the other way, it is hard to fight against these things. There is nothing to criticise, everyone worked exceptionally hard. I hold my head high.”

‘Extremely proud’

Fans at Melbourne's Federation Square watch the Matildas' quarter-final against France

Australia are now into unchartered waters, a first ever World Cup semi-final. Asked if this upcoming week is the biggest in Australian football history, Gustavsson welcomed the hyperbole.

“I love it,” he said. “We have shown we thrive under pressure, over and over again.

“I have an unhealthy addiction to this type of games, they make you feel alive. This is what life is about, making memories with the ones you love the most. I can’t wait to make more.”

The sheer emotions felt in Australia were demonstrated in the roars of the capacity Brisbane Stadium crowd when the game began, when captain Sam Kerr was sent on as a second half sub, when Vine scored the winning penalty.

The sound of nearly 50,000 Australians singing Down Under by Men at Work after that spot-kick may have been cliched, but it also raised goosebumps.

It could have all ended so very differently. France dominated the first half of normal time against a nervous Australian side and should have scored at least once.

But they failed to capitalise, allowed the hosts to regain confidence and ultimately triumph in a manner which can only supercharge belief that they are destined to be only the second ever hosts to win a Women’s World Cup, after USA 24 years ago.

The emotions were also seen in the post-match press conference, with one Australian journalist in tears as they asked Gustavsson how much this result means to his team.

“You’re making me tear up!” he said.

“That’s why I teared up after game on field. When it is bigger than 90 minutes, bigger than sport, you think of all the hard work from everyone, the brave women who walked this path before my time. I’m extremely proud.”

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Phone-scam warnings stepped up

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Be alert for fraudsters claiming to represent public agencies, says government

PUBLISHED : 12 Aug 2023 at 20:23

Phone-scam warnings stepped up
Thais working for a phone scam gang are detained in Sihanoukville, Cambodia after a raid by a joint Thai-Cambodian police operation in March 2022. (Photo: Royal Thai Police)

The government has warned people about the increasing number of call centre scam gangs claiming to be state agencies.

Public agencies do not have a policy for contacting members of the public directly in any case, said Traisuree Taisaranakul, a deputy government spokesperson.

The warning came after it was revealed that TV news anchor Paweenamai Baikhloi had lost over one million baht after falling victim to scammers posing as officials from the Department of Land (DoL).

Ms Traisuree said most scammers normally pick agencies that work closely with people, such as the DoL, the Customs Department, or the Department of Business Development. A caller claiming to be from one of these agencies might say that victims need to update their personal information or verify information with a face scan.

She said that scammers had also been known to impersonate officers from the police, water and electricity authorities, the post office, logistics companies and financial institutions.

This week police warned about a new scam preying on university students and involving callers who claim to be from the Anti Money Laundering Office. They eventually convince young adults that they have been kidnapped in order to extort money from their parents.

Ms Traisuree said public agencies have been instructed not to contact clients over the phone or send short messages with any links to people’s mobile phones.

She also suggested that people recheck any information they receive over the phone. They can call the agencies directly, said Ms Traisuree.

In the case of the news anchor, the Department of Land issued a warning notification on Friday about the scam, in which a victim was told to click on a link sent via SMS and install a fake application, from which the scammers remotely gained access to their mobile phone.

The DoL has no authority over land tax collection, as that falls under local administrations, said Ms Traisuree.

She also suggested that people download the agencies’ applications through official app stores or contact them through verified Line accounts before proceeding with any transaction.

The Thailand Bankers’ Association (TBA) said it had suspended the victim’s three bank accounts immediately after news about the defrauded TV news anchor surfaced. It will also investigate the case. Any others who fell victim to the scam can file a complaint with police, who can freeze their financial transactions during the investigation, the TBA said.

The TBA and the Thailand Banking Sector Computer Emergency Response Team (TB-CERT) have also issued instructions (see graphic below) on how to avoid falling victim to scams.

Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, the caretaker minister of Digital Economy and Society, has promised that his ministry will develop a mechanism to support people who have fallen victim to scams.

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Counting underway in Malaysia state polls, unofficial results trickling in with no surprises yet

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SINGAPORE: Counting is in progress in Malaysia’s six state elections after polling closed at 6pm on Saturday (Aug 12), with unofficial results streaming in and reporting no surprises yet. Unofficial results on Free Malaysia Today show the ruling Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) coalition taking a lead in Selangor, Penang andContinue Reading

Chinese man’s body found in Rayong pond

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Head covered and legs bound but exact cause of death still not determined

PUBLISHED : 12 Aug 2023 at 19:07

Police have found the body of a Chinese national in a pond in Rayong. His head showed signs of injury and was covered with a black cloth while his neck and legs were tied with wires. The cause of death is under investigation.

The man was identified as Tang Zongfei, 36. Police found security video showing Tang leaving his apartment building at around 1am on Thursday, said Pol Col Chaiyapong Sangpongchai, superintendent of Pluak Daeng Police.

He did not show up to work on Friday so his colleagues looked for him at his apartment. They later found him in Bueng Pradit pond in Pluak Daeng, two kilometres away from his apartment, at 9pm on the same day.

Pol Col Chaiyapong said five of Tang’s associates, both Thai and Chinese, were summoned for questioning but no suspicious motives were observed. An examination of Tang’s apartment showed that none of his belongings were taken.

“The cause of death remains unclear. There was no indication that Tang had a row with anyone at home or in the office,” he added.

Investigators on Saturday went to the scene where the body was found and to Tang’s apartment to collect more evidence and seek more leads.

The autopsy revealed that Tang’s head had been bashed while his body did not show any signs of violence. His hands were free, unlike his neck and legs which were heavily tied with wires.

The doctor concluded that the wound on Tang’s head might not have led to his death. Rescue workers had found Tang shirtless and wearing green shorts.

Tang used to work at Zhongce Rubber Co Ltd, a wheel-manufacturing company in Amata City industrial estate in Rayong.

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Roaming wild elephant finally caught

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Parks officials locate animal after court order issued to stop damage to crops in Nakhon Si Thammarat

PUBLISHED : 12 Aug 2023 at 19:03

Roaming wild elephant finally caught
Elephants owned by Wiroj Supradit, a local mahout, helped to find “Phlai Chao Nga” in in Nop Phi Tham district of Nakhon Si Thammarat.

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: A wild elephant was finally captured in Nop Phi Tham district of this southern province on Saturday, 22 days after a court order was issued for authorities to have it relocated as it was disrupting the community.

A team from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) began the operation to track “Phlai Chao Nga” on Friday night.

A pair of captive elephants owned by Wiroj Supradit, a local mahout, helped to find Phlai Chao Nga, also known as Phlai Khai Nui, in the forest and bring it out so that it could be taken elsewhere.

Infrared drones, supported by the chief of Tha Sala subdistrict administrative organisation, Apinan Chaowalit, were also deployed for the operation.

After locating Phlai Chao Nga, the search team shot a tranquilliser drug into the beast.

Once it was calm, the elephant was tied to the two captive pachyderms and brought out of the forest. It was then sent to the Protected Areas Regional Office 5 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, which is now working on its relocation.

The Nakhon Si Thammarat Administrative Court issued the relocation order on July 21 after the elephant strayed from Tai Rom Yen National Park and began damaging local residents’ crops.

Phlai Chao Nga was said to have started wandering into a village in tambon Krung Ching looking for food in January 2022, leading to complaints that crops and farmland were being destroyed.

More than 100 local people’s livelihoods were affected by the elephant roaming around the area, according to the DNP.

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Former insurance agent ‘sold fake policies worth B22m’

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Insurance company alerts police after receiving nine complaints

PUBLISHED : 12 Aug 2023 at 18:05

Former insurance agent ‘sold fake policies worth B22m’
An officer questions a former insurance salesman about creating fake policies and duping victims following his arrest in Chon Buri on Saturday. (Photo: Central Investigation Bureau)

CHON BURI: A former insurance salesman who continued to sell fake policies has been arrested in connection with damages totalling over 22 million baht, say police.

Officers from the Economic Crime Suppression Division arrested the 45-year-old man, identified only as Setthawut, on Saturday at a petrol station in Chon Buri. He had three outstanding warrants.

Mr Setthawut was wanted for falsifying documents, defrauding individuals and inputting false information into a computer system. The charges stemmed from the sale of life insurance policies and failure to actually set up the policies.

In January of this year, nine complaints were lodged with an insurance company, stating that despite having paid premiums for over five years, the policyholders were unable to make claims with the company.

Upon investigating the reports, the company found the victims had been provided with fraudulent documents. The estimated damages exceeded 22 million baht, prompting the company to seek police intervention.

Authorities managed to trace the documents back to Mr Setthawut, discovering he had previously been an insurance agent. Also allegedly involved was a woman, identified only as Wannasa, who had been previously arrested for falsifying documents, including bank transfer slips.

The suspect has denied all charges against him, but investigators are seeking further legal proceedings.

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